Kite Festival (Autumn in Sabina)

The wind of Monte Tancia dresses in colors

There is a spot in the Sabina Mountains where the wind is never just a detail: it is Monte Tancia, the highest peak of the range, overlooking the territory of Monte San Giovanni in Sabina, in the province of Rieti, in the green heart of Lazio. It is here, in the Osteria Tancia area, that every autumn the Kite Festival transforms a high-altitude meadow into a sky crisscrossed by tails, sails, and acrobatic figures. It is not a mass event, and that is precisely why it retains a rare character: a few dozen families, a slope exposed to the breeze, and the slow pace typical of the Sabina region.

A workshop before the flight

The day does not begin by looking at the sky, but with your hands. The Alivola team, collaborating with the Tancia Hostel House, guides adults and children in building their own kite: an eco-friendly kit made of paper and wood, accompanied by a booklet with two classic designs, the Sled and the Diamond models. Those who have already built their kite can move on to the more technical part, the mini-course on acrobatic kite flying with two lines, where you learn to read the wind, set the tension, and draw your first figures.

• Creative building workshop with kit and assistance
• Collective static flights on the panoramic meadow
• Acrobatic kite performances by the Alivola team
• Mini-piloting course for adults and children
• Convivial lunch with local Sabina products

Part of Autumn in Sabina

The Kite Festival is part of the Autumn in Sabina seasonal program, promoted by Sabina Parco Slow and the Sabina Business Network: a series of events running from September to November that includes excursions, cooking workshops, visits to olive mills during the harvest, cheese tastings, and forest walks in search of truffles. In this context, the kite event is the lightest and most child-friendly stop, marking the beginning of the season of clear days and foliage in the Sabina Mountains.

The Tancia Hostel House

The location is no coincidence. The Tancia Hostel House was originally an ancient medieval post station along the routes crossing the Sabina mountains and is now a hostel and an association dedicated to promoting the territory around Monte Tancia. The facility has earned the 'Most Beautiful Skies in Italy' certification for the quality of its night sky and organizes astronomical excursions, trekking, and educational activities throughout the year. By day, that same clear, breezy sky becomes the stage for the kites.

What to expect from the day

The atmosphere is that of a village festival moved to the mountains: no barriers, no stages, just a meadow and the wind. Children run with strings in their hands, adults sit on the grass, and at midday, everyone gathers for a set-menu lunch featuring local cured meats, cheeses, and dessert. Those who arrive early can hike the trails leading toward the summit of Tancia and the rock-hewn Sanctuary of the Grotta di Santa Maria, one of the most evocative places in the Rieti Sabina area.

Why it is worth the trip

Because it is one of the few events in Lazio where participation matters more than the spectacle: here you don't just watch, you build and you fly. And because the Sabina region, with its centuries-old olive groves, stone villages, and silent ridges, is best discovered on an autumn Sunday rather than in the peak tourist season. A simple, family-oriented, and low-impact occasion, perfectly in line with the slow tourism philosophy that drives the entire Sabina Parco Slow project.